Roots Archives Forum

I'm surprised that nobody has started a thread on this amazing Shanachie box set of Yabby You material. Definitely the most complete and comprehensive collection of Yabby You's incredible works.

http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/680-the-d ... yabby-you/

http://www.discogs.com/Yabby-You-Dread- ... se/6675271

I've listened to the set once all the way through, need to dedicate more time to it. It is great and absolutely essential. Very reasonably priced also considering everything you get.

On a related point, I'd like to see some more reissues of the original Yabby LPs in some format. I've got the Jah Jah Way reissue and the Deliver Me CD but everything else appears to be out of print.

Not sure what this status is on the master tapes and ownership of the recordings...

There was actually a previous thread:
http://www.roots-archives.com/forum/vie ... ilit=yabby

It is a great set, though Blood & Fire´s Jesus Dread is outstanding, and I definitely prefer the track organisation on that one - vocal/instrumental/dub/DJ cuts makes for very satisfying listening, imo.

Dread Prophecy has some previously hard to find/never released on CD tracks that is worth getting it for, even if you have all/most albums and CDs from the 1975-1982 period.
The highpoint must be the unreleased versions of King Pharaoh´s Plague:
Yabby´s King Of Kings and Tubby´s Oh City Of Zion, both extended - would make a superb 12"-single!

Can anyone comment on the Half Pint tune? His earliest stuff I know is from around 1984 I think. Is this one older? Yabby You plus Half Pint seems like a kinda odd but very interesting combination.

blackarkrock wrote: The highpoint must be the unreleased versions of King Pharaoh´s Plague:
Yabby´s King Of Kings and Tubby´s Oh City Of Zion, both extended - would make a superb 12"-single!

Well... the big pirate of them all... 'Jamaican Roots' from France now is selling one of his fake "dubplates" with these tunes...
Just received one of his nauseating mails...

Yabby You & King Tubby - Oh City of Zion // Yabby You - King Of Kings - 12" - 50€ - Listen Listen

I am so fed up with this man... told him a few times but the man can't give a rest... what can we do with this BIG pirate??
Someone should pay him a visit...

Gabranth wrote:Can anyone comment on the Half Pint tune? His earliest stuff I know is from around 1984 I think. Is this one older? Yabby You plus Half Pint seems like a kinda odd but very interesting combination.

Yabby worked with a lot of youths from his neighbourhood by giving them opportunities and encouragement, including producers Myrie & Marshall and a yet-to-be recorded Half Pint. He was the first person to put Pint in front of a studio microphone, and provided him vocal coaching. While his first tunes were recorded for Yabby, they weren't released. Pint's first released record was "Sally", a cut on Yabby's version of the classic "Solomon" riddim that he gave to M&M, who then released the tune on their "Sunset" label. The riddim was laid down in the studio by The Gladiators, who did a lot of studio sessions for others that often get overlooked because they are primarily known for their own works.

Myrie & Marshall (and Pint) just lived on the other side of the gully, a 10 minute walk from Jammys. Pint then cut some additional tracks from M&M ("Hold On", "Winsome" [*], and "Crazy Girl"), and then Jammy recorded and released a few minor hits ("Landlord", "Puchie Lou") that helped further his popularity. Pint's career really took off on a mainstream level when he recorded "Greetings" for producer George Phang. I was at a Barry G dance shortly after it was released, and the set played it for about 45 minutes straight, with the crowd rapturously singing along to the ragamuffin anthem.

[*] Interesting Trivia: The picture on the cover of his "Greetings" LP was taken in the house he bought with royalties earned when The Rolling Stones covered "Winsome" on their "Dirty Work" LP, although they re-titled it as "Too Rude". Apparently Keith Richard took a fancy to it, and brought it to the band to record.

All from the same region, a tie that binds stronger than the way we perceive musical styles from thousands of miles away and 30+ years later.

@davek: Great infos man. Thanks a lot.

That is some serious knowledge, davek.

That pint tune is a real highlight of that box imo!

Just a great box by Shanachie. And I mean also the overall lay-out and leaflet, something you can't get by only uploading tracks from the internet.
The classics are there with some lesser known tunes. The Prophet's Babylone A Fall and Yabby with the Gladiator's Mercy & Thruth are my personal favs.
I could have done without those rather bad sounding dub plates and enjoyed more of Michael Prophet and Wayne Wade stuff, but if Shanachie has the keys of Yabby's tape vault they might release some of their material in future.

Thanks to davek for his info. I did check Too Rude by Stones and Richards and difficult to find a word to describe that experience: hilarious or wrethced.

rokkimake wrote:, but if Shanachie has the keys of Yabby's tape vault they might release some of their material in future.

Ah those well known tape vaults that reggae artists and producers have!!!!